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Value dignity of unborn with disabilities

In January next year, Singapore will participate in its second Universal Periodic Review (UPR), which reviews the human rights situation in United Nations Member States.

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DARIUS LEE

In January next year, Singapore will participate in its second Universal Periodic Review (UPR), which reviews the human rights situation in United Nations Member States.

In its National UPR Report released last Friday (“Decision to retain Section 377A ‘carefully considered, balanced’”, Dec 12), the Singapore Government said that it strives to build an inclusive society “where persons with disabilities are recognised, empowered and given every opportunity to become integral and contributing members of society”.

Singapore ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in July 2013, and has since taken various steps to help persons with disabilities integrate into society.

These include early intervention, education, improvements to transport infrastructure, assistance for adults with disabilities and promotion of employment.

However, more can be done to protect the rights of people with disabilities, from conception to natural death.

In October last year, the Health Ministry referred to a routine fetal scan at 20 weeks of pregnancy to pick up structural abnormalities as one of the reasons to justify keeping the abortion time limit at 24 weeks.

At that time, Senior Minister of State (Health) Amy Khor had said that keeping the abortion limit at 24 weeks “will allow these mothers some time to consider the implications and make an informed decision as to whether to keep or abort the child, without being rushed to meet a shorter cut-off time”.

The singling out of disabled unborn children to justify abortion is inconsistent with the Government’s obligations to promote respect for the inherent dignity of disabled persons under the Convention.

All human beings are entitled to be respected and treated equally irrespective of age, size, location, stage of development, and condition of dependency.

The Government has taken various positive steps to build a fair and inclusive society, but more can still be done. To fully promote the inclusion of all members of the human family, we should value the inherent dignity of all people, including unborn children with disabilities.

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